Stick/Curve Advice for Centre Position

[Kainth007 0]

I have always played wing, and always been more of a shooter. For my summer season that has started a few weeks ago my team has asked me to move from the wing and centre a line because of my ability to skate + lead the rush and come back and help the D.

When taking face-offs my sticks are really getting a beating with the blades. The hosel of the sticks and the blades are starting to chip and wear down. My first question is to the other centreman: What sticks do you find you like for this position the most? I am curious if a certain stick is preferred by centreman on these boards, and what sticks seem to last longer in this circumstance.

I have ALWAYS used a Sakic Curve (Draper occasionally). Now with more of a focus on carrying the puck for a longer period of time and taking face-offs, are certain curves better suited to this purpose?

Current Sticks:

Warrior AK Draper

Easton ST '10 Sakic

[mack 44]

Maybe it's just me but I stick with what works/feels comfortable. I'll use a variety of curves mind you, but no changes were ever due to a position change. I floated between RW/C all my life and stuck with the same patterns.

[skyscrape 5]

Maybe it's just me but I stick with what works/feels comfortable. I'll use a variety of curves mind you, but no changes were ever due to a position change. I floated between RW/C all my life and stuck with the same patterns.

+1

WHichever you feel most comfortable with and don't second guess yourself!

[Kainth007 0]

I feel fine with using the same curve, I have used Sakic patterns since I first started playing and stuck with it. Perhaps I poorly worded it but what I Meant to ask was if, say, a longer straighter blade makes it easier to control and win faceoffs and such. I feel perfectly fine using the same pattern in the new position.

My main concern is the abuse my sticks are taking because of the position change.

Thanks for the input, I understand that having never played centre before I will need to shore up my skills taking draws however I manage to hover a little under 50% for only having played centre recently. Not second guessing myself can only help.

[skyscrape 5]

I really like the longer blades personally! I play D but I love to play Center. I typically like the longer blades for the stick handling and I really like the ability a blade like the drury/staal gives me to go top shelf from inside the crease but putting it out off the toe. I also like the fact that with slap shots I can shoot off the heel and generate some serious power! My only issue with the curve is that from the point I really have to focus on keeping it down to get it on net! If I just let it go I will rip it top shelf from the slot and I go head huntin from the point! For some reason though, unless skating backwards I struggle with saucer passes and my wrist shot will be hard but flutter if not focused on. SOmetimes I wonder if that is due to the length of the blade. Where as a shorter blade I just rip it and it flies true!

Hope this helps and did not confuse things!

I do like the simpler/straighter curves for stick handling though.

[sickwilly 37]

Add another vote for sticking with what you're comfortable with.

I notice that I break OPS much more frequently when taking faceoffs. It was a significant enough difference for me to go back to a 2-piece standard setup part-time. I stick with the same curves (Sakic and Sakic-like curves) and stick length regardless of what position I'm playing.

[Jarick 5]

I'd also go 2-piece, and the most durable blades I've used were the old Dolomites. I had a chunk taken out of one on a faceoff and it still went strong after six months.

[tareatingrat 4]

Not that it's going to make a huge difference, but I've found that putting a strip of tape along the bottom and top of the blade (with enough to cover the toe), as well as taping the whole blade from heel to toe and then waxing the hell out of the tape (one type of wax - melt it in, another type of wax - melt it in, then a final layer of wax) has seemed to prevent chips and gashes on my blades. A little anal, maybe, but it also helps the tape last longer.

I usually play C/RW as well, and my blades were taking a beating.

But if it's becoming an issue, a two-piece setup might work for you.

As far as curve goes, I use either a Sakic (Draper?) Dolomite and a Malkin One95. Which one I use depends on the type of game I'm having. If I can't do anything with one stick, I'll switch it up. Never had much of a problem switching, but I can stickhandle better with the Malkin.

[theelite 1]

My sticks always took a beating just like the OP... I was a little bit freaked out at first because I'd get chips and dings all over the place.

If you're worried about durability, Warrior sticks can take a beating and still be fine. I have an AK27 2pc and the bottom of the shaft is chipped to the point where it's just the composite material showing. still works fine. 2 piece set up would be a good choice, especially since blades are interchangeable... though if you're asking this question i'm sure you don't want to spend a whole lot of money buying blades either..

I might suggest an Easton ST 2 piece... ST stands for Super Tough right?

[Dolom1te 0]

I have been a center for a long time now and was having the same problem with my one pieces breaking in the hosel area. When my dolomite spyne broke there this year i just decided to throw in a wood blade that i heated up and put a toe curve on just to mess around in shinny with. I was really liking the feel of it so i tried it out in my league games and loved it. The curve didn't seem to affect my draws and the wood blade seems more durable than my composite blades at the hosel (although they will break more on the actual blade. But this way i only have to pay 15 bucks every time i brake a blade instead of having to go out and buy a new 200+ dollar stick. Thats my opinion on the subject at least.

[bostonjuniorblackhawks 1]

My sticks always took a beating just like the OP... I was a little bit freaked out at first because I'd get chips and dings all over the place.

If you're worried about durability, Warrior sticks can take a beating and still be fine. I have an AK27 2pc and the bottom of the shaft is chipped to the point where it's just the composite material showing. still works fine. 2 piece set up would be a good choice, especially since blades are interchangeable... though if you're asking this question i'm sure you don't want to spend a whole lot of money buying blades either..

I might suggest an Easton ST 2 piece... ST stands for Super Tough right?

Shaft isn't nearly as good as the old ultralights keep in mind. I'd go with an st ops. I've seen those things take abosulte beatdowns. Still usuable even with chunks of composite material missing.

[chippa13 1844]

For the OP, one thing that I've seen plenty of centers do when they've hit the pros is go to a straighter curve which helps them on faceoffs and passing from both sides of the blade. Thornton and Modano are two guys who come to mind that talked about how a straighter blade helped them out.

[Kainth007 0]

Thanks everyone, all of the advice is really helpful. I will look into a 2-piece set-up most likely as soon as a stick breaks. That way I will be able to experiment with different curves (perhaps a Malkin) and can always go back to my original curve if it does not work out. I will try using wax on my tape as well and see if that helps out. Thanks again.

[theelite 1]

Thanks everyone, all of the advice is really helpful. I will look into a 2-piece set-up most likely as soon as a stick breaks. That way I will be able to experiment with different curves (perhaps a Malkin) and can always go back to my original curve if it does not work out. I will try using wax on my tape as well and see if that helps out. Thanks again.

I started rubbing a puck on the tape... on white tape, it got it pretty dark... played a game with it and it felt great. I would occasionally touch the blade between shifts with my fingers... dry as a bone. also took a few hacks ontop of the blade but there was no major damage there.

[BarDownGinos 3]

You don't have to worry about breaking your stick on faceoffs if you're quicker on the draw than the other guy

[westcoastsniper 0]

or you use your skate to swoop the puck away and butt-end the guy in the neck - with that technique I win every time!